FIRST RACE – Temperature in the low 60s … Stretch tailwind early … In the stakes races, there are three-year-olds early in their campaigns, so you’ll see a LOT of fast back halves and quarters from these talented horses gearing up for their long year … KOMODO BEACH made the lead 3/16, rated the half, then stepped home in 55.1 – 27.1 to win safely as an example of what we just mentioned. MYSWEETBOYMAX yielded for the pocket, tried the Pocono Pike and did well to stay close to the winner. GREAT SOMEWHERE came off of turn two and paced his own back half without cover in 54.3, game to the line. FULL MOON BEACH swung outside from third on the far turn, held evenly. BEACH TIME BOY was shuffled a bit, OK from far back. MAD MAN HILL was third-over, could get to second-over when a foe bore out late backstretch but couldn’t get into the main fight. SETH HANOVER and ANDRES HANOVER weren’t going to gain enough into these back numbers. FULSOME was second-over but bore three-wide late backstretch and lost his action.
SECOND RACE – ALLI NUI accepted the pocket at the 1/8 and traveled the golden trip, out in the stretch and stepped right by to an easy win. DELISHKA N decided to cut the pace, got a breather to the half, could not match steps with the winner but clear of the rest. MAJOR BATTLE was second-over, three-wide when cover faltered midturn, just got third over TSM ARTEMIS T. The latter sat in, swung out far turn, OK. SHE’S A BILLIONAIR gapped inside down the back, got the last check. ISLAY N was never prominent. KAY’S DELIGHT went uncovered from third at the half, didn’t make much of an impression before falling back. MISS TRESSA had too far to come. RELLA TIVITY gapped at the back.
THIRD RACE – SHOW EM ALL LINDY appeared to give a tuck near the ¼ so he could quarter-move before the parked horse came to him, went to the lead and set fast fractions for bottom trotters, bottomed these out. KANDY KORN had room to go outside late backstretch but stayed in, cleared midstretch and came with a big rush the last 50 yards (as the pace was slowing). MAGIC VACATION got into the early pocket at the ¼, urged far turn, evenly. LAKEVIEW TAMMY came up the inside for the last check. PITTSTOP KIP gapped down the backstretch, then moved out two- and three-wide, couldn’t get into it. NATALIE HANOVER was always far back. CRITICAL MASS pulled out to follow cover towards turn two, went three-wide ¾ but couldn’t sustain any gain in the stretch. CHUCKY DE VIE was outside with cover from two different horses to the 3/8, then left raw, hung in there in the fast pace until the 11/16.
FOURTH RACE – STRAIGHT TALK took the pocket past the 1/8, moved raw 11/16 and went up to make a big challenge, got the lead early stretch then just held off DOUBLE METAL on his back. The latter tucked, then moved out behind the winner, kept inching closer to him, just missed. CAPTAINS PLACE was on top at the 1/8, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, didn’t hit high gear right away but was doing a little better at the end. PRAYFORTHEWICKED got inside 3/16, then was third-over, four-wide headstretch, good late pace. RIFLEMAN yielded, made a quarter-move and didn’t get a hard pace, but faltered after being challenged. HIS BEATS HANOVER gapped at a couple of points, to the far inside in the stretch, evenly. GET ALONG offered little. WINNING LINE looked a little rank behind the gate, got away last, not enough here.
FIFTH RACE – LINNYCALLEDFRANKIE got the pocket and sat right behind fast numbers, came out into the stretch and just wore down TAPPED TEEN. The latter went quickly to the front and strung out much of the field in fast fractions, went a big mile but just came up shy. ABACUS got in third to the 1/8, moved outside before the 5/8, fumbled for a few steps then went forward, kept on coming. MANHOLMES gained inside from far back, blocked late turn then moved a lane to the right, did well in the last 1/16. THE LEGEND HANOVER moved outside to turn two, went back inside, evenly. STELLAR YANKEE had little after staying inside. LOUIE THE LOOPER moved uncovered before the half, soon got cover, soon after went inside of it as it did not go (immediately) forward, back out behind it on the turn, but with little. BEACHHEAD gapped at the ¼, then was behind a breaker to the half and moved outside, lost his action. AS ALWAYS was inside when breaking nearing the half.
SIXTH RACE – BOILER MAKER, the only winner on the card to come off cover, moved out past the 9/16 and soon got cover, wide early in the stretch and just caught DEAN B HANOVER in the shadow of the wire. The latter went uncovered 5/8, got in high gear before the ¾ and challenged, made the lead early stretch and almost made that lead stand up to the line. CAPTAIN SLEAZE went to the lead early, yielded for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike, not as much as the first two but OK. SIMON SAYS HANOVER was last entering the far turn and had to come widest off it, passed a lot of horses in the lane (individual LQ = 26.3). MIKIBYTHESEASIDE was third-over, looked all-out to stay in the flow. SHAKESPEARE grabbed the early pocket, inside, couldn’t offer much late. PATRIOT LINE and TARKIO were never prominent. COALITION HANOVER was under a hold behind the gate, moved 3/16 from third to the lead 3/8, got pressure before the ¾, had little left for the drive.
SEVENTH RACE – SOUTH BEACH STAR was three-wide to the 1/8 then proceeded two-wide to 5/16 command, rated the half, then produced twin 27.1s on the back end and was uncatchable. WARRAWEE WHYNOT took over into turn one, yielded for the pocket, showed good speed to stay right behind the winner. SOMEWHEREINVERONA came out down the back but gapped, ducked in ¾, outside headstretch, not bad at all. BAKLOUVA was uncovered off turn two, couldn’t threaten as the speed really sharpened, then fell back. PHILOSOPHIZER got the last check. CAPTAIN ROMANCE took back early and did not resurface. YANKEE LITIGATOR was behind dull cover, went three-wide but didn’t have much; JUST CALL ME MIKI was that dull cover.
EIGHTH RACE – Wind had calmed … EXPLOIT was uncovered 9/16 and paced in 26.4 down the back to challenge the leader, lost a little bit of ground turning for home, but showed a high capacity in being resurgent and getting the job done. GAMBLIN MO moved just before the 3/8 to the lead entering turn two, took heat from the winner, looked like he may have conquered him headstretch but saw that one come back, no disgrace in this second. LITERL LAD HANOVER was pushed much of the quarter by his stablemate then cleared, yielded entering turn two, a bit loose in the big third quarter battle, came on in the Pocono Pike and was not far off. LUNAR got the lead before the first turn, yielded, stayed in, to the deep Pike, closed well while possibly in tight quarters. HIGHLANDBEACHSBEST was second-over, steadily. STONEBRIDGE REEF was third-over, wide in the lane but not prominent. PIRATE HANOVER yielded into turn one, made a break at the 1/8.
NINTH RACE – ABUCKABETT HANOVER moved just before the ¼ and just did have PERFECT STING beat him to the punch, went by that one with a nice brush past the 3/8 after he had gotten the lead, had the first-over reach his rump to the ¾, shook that one off, then was all-out to withstand “STING” trying to shoot the Pocono Pike on him in a solid mile. PERFECT STING dropped in third, moved towards the ¼ just before the winner then let that one go, slightly loose down the back but then tighter on the turn, to the Pike and inched up on the winner, not quite by but his own last ¼ in 26 in his 2021 debut. RED RIGHT HAND moved with fine cover second-over, three-wide into the lane and edged BILLY CLYDE for third. The latter came with a big roar (26.3) down the backstretch, reached the leader, couldn’t match strides in the lane, still a good mile. LOU’S PEARLMAN was used early to seat a foe, saw the two big horses go by in quarter two, started to lag midturn. SUMMA CUM LAUDE left hard, took the pocket near the ¼, shuffled then back out third-over but couldn’t get back into it. SWEET ANGEL BOY was no factor.
TENTH RACE – ONE EIGHT HUNDRED was away second then moved just before the ¼, went to the lead then let his main rival go and sat behind him, outside in the lane and gained into a 26.2 last quarter with a tremendous blast in the last 1/16. SOUTHWIND GENDRY was three-wide early then in gear at the 1/8, was behind the winner when he moved and carried on to command to the 3/8, certainly no disgrace to be caught after being wide early and then coming home in 54.2 – 26.3. ROCKYROAD HANOVER was second-over behind good cover when he caught up with it, three-wide late turn and up for third. HELLABALOU stayed inside, got to third in the stretch then just passed for that finishing spot. WATER SPORTS TEEN moved uncovered off the second turn and sustained a long grind until nearing the stretch, then backed off. CHASE H HANOVER was on top at the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, in, outside far turn but couldn’t gain contention. BETTER NOT TALK broke W-A-Y before the start, caught the field but then tired in the last quarter.
ELEVENTH RACE – WHICHWAYTOTHEBEACH tucked third, then quarter-moved, controlled the throttle and looked comfortable winning. SIX DEGREES went right to the top, saw two horses go by, stayed third-in, up the Pocono Pike and solid for second. CRUNCH HANOVER moved 3/16 for the lead then yielded to the winner to sit the two-hole, outside stretch but could not gain. CURBSIDE PICKUP spotted early, gapped down the back, then advanced along the inside throughout the last quarter. ALWAYS A MIKI tucked midpack 3/16, then was second-over, three-wide approaching midturn, not quite enough to reach on the speed-favoring night. PERFECTBOY HANOVER swung wide from third-over, not a factor. HULOU never entered the picture. POWER SWEET moved uncovered 9/16, started to fade early on the far turn. BRAEMAR never was in the picture.
TWELFTH RACE – ALWAYS B SWEET was three-wide to the 1/8 to the top soon thereafter, yielded and sat snug in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and up in the last few steps. EMBLAZE HANOVER was between horses early and looped, went on to grab the racetrack to the 5/16, set the pace as he liked, came home well but was just outkicked. LOUIE kept a hole closed 3/16, inside, gapped a little on the turn, to the deep Pike, not bad. BAZOOKA HANOVER spotted behind the early fight, then moved raw into the backstretch, one-geared steadily. SERIOUS MIKI was wide on the first turn and outside throughout, wound up third-over, showed good stretch velocity wide. BAYFIELD BEACH was second-over but lacking in the last 1/8. HURRIKANEKINGCARLO offered little after an inside trip. CYRUS PEAK was away slowly, lost contact in the last half. BAY BRUCE was far back when going offstride on the far turn.
THIRTEENTH RACE — BOLT OF BEAUTY settled in the two-hole at the 1/8 and waited until just past midturn to move out, easily caught pacesetting JUSLIKEAQUEEN. The latter made the lead going into the first turn, set a crawling half then sharpened the speed but couldn’t stall the winner. BRING ME DIAMONDS was away in good order, third-in and to the Pocono Pike, OK and far ahead of the rest. SWEET YOUNG THING stayed in, just edged ENGLISH ROSE N for fourth. The latter started uncovered into turn two but was doomed by the slow half as she is a one-speed grinder, not a sprinter, held OK. READY SET ROCK was second-over but not helped much by cover, three-wide at the ¾ but couldn’t reach the main action. ALL ABOUT AMY was in a nonflow third-over. OOH REAL GOOD never factored.
FOURTEENTH RACE – DANCE CLUB left between horses and finally made the lead in 26.2, rated the second split then downshifted and held everybody well at bay. STELLENBOSCH was the innermost of the three early battlers, kept the pocket, clear second. DIBABA N stayed in until the 11/16, then moved raw but could not threaten. PAIGE’S GIRL got cover late backstretch, gapped it on the far turn. WESTERN STEPP never surfaced. SUNDAY AFTERNOON was three-wide past the 1/8, took back to tuck third, faded at the ¾.